Coming Soon: Elixir–The American Tragedy of a Deadly Drug

After more than 10 years of research, I am happy (relieved) to announce my soon-to-be published nonfiction book Elixir: The American Tragedy of a Deadly Drug. Look for it soon at Amazon in print and electronic versions. Elixir is the first book-length account of the Elixir Sulfanilamide tragedy of 1937, the deaths from which I have long cataloged at this blog/website. Here’s the back-cover come-on:

At the height of the Great Depression, the mysterious deaths of children in Oklahoma sparked an unprecedented investigation of a new and powerful antibiotic elixir. In a “nationwide race with death,” US Government agents struggled to seize and destroy thousands of bottles of the toxic drug before more children could be killed. Elixir tells the shocking true story of the deaths of more than 100 Americans who fell victim to this untested drug, the forces that led to the disaster, and the parallels to similar episodes of drug poisoning that continue to this day.

Barbara J. Martin, MD, has compiled the most detailed historical account to date of this vast pharmaceutical tragedy and the myriad reactions to the fatal poisonings—from the manufacturer, the prescribing doctors, the dispensing pharmacists, and the organizations that had a significant stake in this tragedy, including the American Medical Association, the Food and Drug Administration, and Congress. Elixir follows this industrial catastrophe to its alarming conclusion with important insights for the 21st century.

Yours truly is available for interviews, and review copies are available for, well, published reviews. Thank you for your interest.–BJM

A native East Tennessean, Barbara Martin is a formerly practicing, board-certified neurologist who received her BS (psychology, summa cum laude) and MD from Duke University before completing her postgraduate training (internship, residency, fellowship) at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She has worked in academia, private practice, medical publishing, drug market research, and continuing medical education (CME). For the last 3 years, she has worked in a freelance capacity as a medical writer, analyst, and consultant. Follow Dr. Barbara Martin on Google + and Twitter.